They were the most eye-catching buildings around, second only to the Mythological Great Wall, the yet-to-be-built Dragon Palace, and the Giant's Hut.
When he first saw them, Soren Park hadn't understood their purpose, but after half a night of careful observation and reflection, the answer became clear.
The result was obvious: they were being used to fend off zombies!
"He's a genius!"
Thinking back on it, Soren Park couldn't help but marvel.
Ronan Mountwell had been the first to discover the secret of obsidian and the path to the Nether.
However, when asked, his only impression of the Nether Portal was that of a simple transportation gate, and he frequently complained about it being destroyed by Ghast fireballs.
Soren Park still remembered Ronan Mountwell's frustrated cursing.
"That is simply the weakest, most useless portal I have ever seen! Even the slightest explosion will damage it!"
"You guys have no idea—because of that damn zero blast resistance, I almost got stranded in the Nether. Heavens, it was a nightmare!"
Every time it was mentioned, he would go on a long rant before finally stopping.
Largely influenced by Ronan Mountwell, the Alliance had developed an impression that the Nether Portal was fragile and offered little defensive value.
Because of this, no one had even considered using it as a defensive measure against zombies!
The portal itself had no defensive attributes, but to utilize it in such a clever way was something Soren Park had to admire Galen Yu for.
'In terms of being street-smart, Galen Yu's ability is undeniable!'
Admitting that he hadn't thought of it himself didn't discourage Soren Park.
The idea was brilliant, and now, it was his!
"Horns, how are the materials coming along?"
He shouted to another member of the Alliance, a man named Horns from a small nation.
Building a Nether Portal required obsidian, and thanks to the wall-building strategy proposed by Jett—which aimed to turn the chunk into an iron fortress using obsidian—they were well-prepared.
There was no need to go out searching; the Alliance currently had obsidian in their reserves.
Carrying twenty pieces of obsidian, Horns responded.
"Mr. Park, everything is ready!"
"Good. Go build it on the outer perimeter."
Since it was meant to intercept zombies, building it in the inner layers wouldn't be appropriate. Soren Park believed it should be placed on the outer edge of the chunk.
Wasn't that how the Sky Island design worked, after all?
"But sir, do I really have to bridge out to the perimeter and build it myself?"
Looking at the zombies in the distance, Horns swallowed hard.
His strength was mediocre at best. He didn't have the combat prowess of Kira Oakmoor, nor the backing of Mark's abundant items.
With no special skills or support, he had survived this long solely by keeping his head down and doing the Alliance's dirty work.
He could handle other chores, but crossing the chunk's defenses to go directly to the outer layer was another story.
That meant facing the zombies head-on, and for him, it was far too dangerous!
"What are you afraid of?"
Soren Park glanced at the hesitating Horns with total indifference.
"I'm sending you to the perimeter, not into the middle of a zombie swarm. There's stone and brick protection out there as well, isn't there?"
"Mark, the Spartans, and I will be using ranged weapons to cover you. Besides..."
"I won't send you out for nothing. These two weapons are yours!"
After exchanging a look with Mark, both of them tossed weapons toward him.
One was a Sharp Blade - White Sheath, and the other was a Desert Eagle pistol.
Both had been crafted by Ronan Mountwell; one was discovered through his own exploration of the SlashBlade mod, and the other via a crafting recipe obtained from a Wandering Mage.
"Exactly, with us covering you, what is there to fear?"
"Rest assured, the Alliance will remember your contribution once you return. You'll be the first person we help upgrade to an Oodachi!"
Mark patted his chest, chiming in to help persuade him.
Having heard Soren Park speak so highly of the plan, he wanted to witness the miraculous defensive power of the Nether Portal with his own eyes.
Accepting the two weapons, Horns quickly inspected them.
To survive in the block world, he had undergone special training and was quite familiar with firearms.
There wasn't much ammo—only twenty rounds—but it was enough to pick off any stray zombies nearby.
As for the SlashBlade, it was a top-tier mod weapon.
He had personally seen Kira Oakmoor use the unimaginable Dimensional Slash. If he could have an Oodachi of his own...
Horns swallowed, his eyes turning determined.
The temptation was too great. Besides, Soren Park was right.
He wasn't being sent to his death; he was just building a portal outside. With so many Spartan Warriors and Mark providing cover fire, a few zombies shouldn't be much of a threat.
"Alright!"
Taking a deep breath, Horns took a dedicated side path, passing high over the cobweb zone.
This was a spot specifically left during construction; it was built high up, and its end didn't connect with the stone zone, leaving a gap.
Jumping down from above, Horns warily scanned his surroundings.
While the stone walls trapped most ordinary zombies, there were still some with jump boosts roaming around.
Just as he raised his Desert Eagle, a crisp gunshot rang out from behind him.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Muzzle flash flared as Mark waved from the distance, gesturing for him to build quickly.
With Mark's support, Horns steadied his nerves and began placing the obsidian.
"A Nether Portal is rectangular; the four corners can be replaced with other blocks."
Recalling what Mark had taught him earlier, he quickly built a base six blocks wide, with three blocks of height on each side.
It wasn't as massive as the ones Galen Yu built, but it was still several times larger than a standard portal.
Next, he switched to his flint and steel and clicked it against the obsidian.
Next, he switched to his flint and steel and clicked it against the obsidian.
Whoosh!
Flames flared, and a deep purple gate emitting glowing particles hummed into existence.
"It's done!"
Joy flashed in Soren Park's eyes.
Now came the test: whether it could actually stop the zombies.
Conveniently, a squad of zombies with jump boosts flew up; their flying machines exploded and dropped them, and seven or eight zombies let out low growls.
Hiding behind the Nether Portal, Horns didn't dare move an inch.
As he heard the zombies' footsteps getting closer and closer, his heart hammered against his ribs.
"Almost... they're almost here... they're right there!"
Indeed, three of the smarter ones tried to flank from the left and right, but Horns picked them off with his Desert Eagle.
However, the rest walked straight into the portal and were instantly teleported to the Nether dimension.
"It actually works!"
With the experiment a success, Mark and Soren Park were both ecstatic.
Doesn't this mean that as long as they surrounded the chunk with Nether Portals, they wouldn't have to fear any number of zombies?
"I really like this little strategy Galen Yu 'donated' to us!"
Mark laughed, his mood excellent.
Seeing his smug expression, many viewers from the Nine Provinces felt a wave of indignation.
"God Yu's design was just stolen by you!"
"Dammit, we finally thought of a clever trick, and that wretched Soren Park just copies it!"
"This doesn't count as an innovative building, so it's a shame there's no world protection for the design!"
"'Donated a strategy to you'? How can anyone be this shameless?"
"Just looking at him makes my blood boil!"
Even Fries felt it was a great pity.
"Why didn't the zombies just kill you guys?"
If they had been trapped outside, Soren Park would have been worn down eventually. It was a shame Ronan Mountwell had encountered a Wandering Mage and spent mana to save those two.
If they had known, they should have used their 'traditional skill' and finished him off back at Sky Island!
At this point, Fries could only sigh helplessly.
"Haha, the Alliance no longer needs to fear zombies!"
As the builder, Horns was delighted.
He wasn't strong, so he could only survive if the Alliance stayed powerful. The arrival of the Nether Portal was entirely in his best interest.
He was just about to bridge back up to spread the good news.
"Ugh... Grrr..."
The low, gutteral growl of a zombie suddenly echoed from behind him.
"That doesn't sound like just one or two... with that many voices..."
"Wait!"
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